NATIONAL PENUCHE FUDGE DAY

National Penuche Fudge Day on July 22 recognizes the creamy candy with an Italian name. If you like maple flavor, this nut-filled fudge is for you! Hands down the best fudge out there to make.

Penuche is pronounced pe-new-chee and is said to have Portugal origins, becoming popular in New England during the 1700s among Portuguese whaling families. This sweet treat is considered the oldest fudge ever created. This fudge-like candy includes brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk. Some people add pecans or other nuts, especially if making a candy in the form of penuche. Lighter in color than traditional fudge, penuche tastes like maple thanks to the brown sugar.

What is the difference between Penuche and fudge? Standard fudge is made with white sugar, while penuche is made with brown sugar. Interestingly, Penuche fudge doesn't contain chocolate, yet still falls under the category of fudge. On National Penuche Fudge Day, test recipes and see for yourself how delicious this treat is. Don't forget to add walnuts or pecans for a nutty texture.

Make your own batch of Penuche fudge. Will it be with nuts or without? Post on social media using #NationalPenucheFudgeDay photos of the result of your effort.

Plus, if you are so inclined, we would enjoy tasting your homemade fudge. You might even consider sending some our way.

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Penuche (Brown Sugar Fudge)
A foolproof recipe only takes a few minutes. The texture just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, (1 and 1/2 sticks) 2/3 cup evaporated milk 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 & 1/2 cups brown sugar 12 ounces white chocolate bars, high quality* not chips 1 (7-oz) jar marshmallow creme (fluff) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan w/ foil or parchment. If you are using foil, coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. Chop your white chocolate into small chunks for faster melting. In a 3 quart HEAVY pan over med-high heat, melt 3/4 cup butter. Before it melts all the way, use your spoon or knife to rub the sides of the pot with butter, almost all the way to the top. This helps prevent sugar crystals from forming on the edge of the pan. Add 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Add 2 tablespoons corn syrup. Add 2 and 1/2 cups brown sugar to the center of the pot. Be sure to avoid getting sugar on the edge of the pan to avoid sugar crystals.

Use a wooden spoon to stir slowly until the butter has melted completely and been fully incorporated. Bring to a full rolling boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon. Once it starts boiling (bubbles coming up from the CENTER of the pot, not the edges), set a timer for 5 minutes and turn the heat down to medium–it should be at a rolling boil the full 5 minutes. Stir constantly. w/ a thermometer, boil until it reaches about 236 degrees F. When the timer goes off, remove from heat and immediately add the chopped white chocolate. Stir until melted completely and there are no lumps. You will notice that if you stop stirring even for a few seconds, the fudge will start to harden, so work quickly.

Tip Take the lid off your marshmallow creme, remove all traces of foil, ignore the label that says “Do not microwave in jar,” and microwave in the jar for about 20 seconds, until you see the marshmallow start to rise above the lip of the jar. (Makes it really easy to get the marshmallow out of the jar, which can be a pain.) Use a spatula to add all the marshmallow creme to the fudge and stir. You will notice that if you stop stirring even for a few seconds, the fudge will start to harden, so work quickly.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the fudge. Beat the fudge with your wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides well, until all the marshmallow has been incorporated and the fudge is an even light golden color with no streaks. (At this point, add 2/3-3/4 c chopped toasted nuts.)

Immediately pour into the prepared and lined square pan. Let cool to room temperature. This usually takes 3-5 hours depending on the temperature of your house. Once the fudge has had a half hour or so to cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid so it doesn’t get dried out. You can refrigerate the fudge to speed up cooling, but let it come back to room temperature before slicing. When you are ready to serve, lift the parchment paper or foil out of the pan. Use a long chef’s knife to make even slices. Store on the counter covered. Fudge will keep on the counter for about 3-5 days before getting dried out.

You can freeze fudge for the holidays. Freeze in a block and allow to come to room temperature before slicing, or slice and arrange in a sealed container, then freeze. I prefer the latter, then I can just pop it out of the freezer and add pieces to holiday cookie plates.

Notes *The quality of white chocolate used is VERY important. Your fudge will taste as good as your white chocolate, so make sure to buy a white chocolate that has COCOA BUTTER listed in the ingredients......Ghirardelli white chocolate is the best.

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